


Little Truths

by Nebulad



Series: To Live Without Fear [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Other, The Big Reveal, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 14:49:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8989111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nebulad/pseuds/Nebulad
Summary: “I’d like to present to you a theory, to see what you think,” Saevin began. It was an odd thing to open with, but he couldn’t claim any secret expertise in flirtation.“I am listening, lethallin.”“First, my proof—”“Should you not begin with a hypothesis?” he asked wryly.“I’m trying to trick you, not write you a report,” she scolded.





	

Solas knew he was not being subtle, but kept looking up to steal glances at the Inquisitor anyway. Saevin was doing paperwork at her desk, scowling as she tried to mouth out the Common. “Solas—”

“The word is _commerce,”_ he said in Elvish. She huffed out a sigh.

“Elgar’nan forbid any of them learn Tevene.” She returned to her work, not asking how he’d known the word. He wondered if she could see him watching her. She was remarkably perceptive… he would have suspected foul play if he had not been well aware of what a terrible liar he became around her. If she ever discovered his identity, at least it would immediately disprove any tales of his clever web of deceit. “I had something I wanted to talk to you about,” she added.

It would be their kiss on the balcony, no doubt. He hadn’t realized how lonely he was, and she hadn’t realized just how fascinating she was to him. It was all a very dangerous game he was playing, but… well, there were contingencies. Options, should the need arise. Not every possible timeline was one where he had to abandon her.

“As you like,” he said, closing the book in his lap. She’d offered him one of her cosier chairs, but it had done very little for his comfort. The static that surrounded her seemed particularly potent where he was concerned- he knew because he’d asked Dorian and Vivienne if they too felt particularly distracted by it. Vivienne’s answer had been a flat out _no,_ while Dorian had taken his time to _really_ humiliate Solas.

“I’d like to present to you a theory, to see what you think,” she began. It was an odd thing to open with, but he couldn’t claim any secret expertise in flirtation.

“I am listening, _lethallin.”_

“First, my proof—”

“Should you not begin with a hypothesis?” he asked wryly.

“I’m trying to trick you, not write you a report,” she scolded. He hoped his smile did not look too manic. “So, to my proof: the way you speak to Sera is my first proof. You said to her that she was very far from what she was meant to be, or something like that.” Now he was certain he looked panicked, but she wasn’t looking at him. “Secondly, your knowledge of Elvish artifacts is…. suspicious.”

“I take my knowledge—”

“From the Fade. I know. But I would argue that Fade context would need work. Gaps would need to be filled in, which you seem to do admirably without worrying about how you may be wrong,” she argued.

“I am not wrong.”

“I don’t think you are, which is why that was my second proof. And my third is that you’re an incredible _somniari.”_

“That is a proof?” _Mythal_ was he sweating? Why wouldn’t she look at him? She certainly wasn’t reading anything in front of her.

“Yes, because Dreamers are exceedingly rare and often die at the hands of demons or mobs or what have you. Either I believe that you are a remarkable exception or… I believe in my hypothesis,” she said, finally looking up. He tried to look less guilty and probably failed spectacularly.

“Which is?” he prompted.

“You’re an ancient elf,” she said, and her voice shook a little. She wasn’t certain. “You were a _somniari_ in Arlathan, and slipped into _uthenera._ I don’t… know how you would have survived where no one else did—”

“It was because I did not have angry slaves to slit my throat,” he said. He might have thrown her off the scent entirely, but… he was proud. She’d almost puzzled him out entirely, and such study should not go unrewarded… and so she would have her truth. “And you are not entirely correct. I loathed Arlathan— too much noise, too many… nobles.” He had been on the brink of saying _enuvaris_ but he supposed he was rewarding her for what she had puzzled out. He would fill in no gaps for her.

“And I had to guess this _because…?”_ She was angry. She had the right to be.

“I was not certain I would be believed,” he said with a shrug. “It did not matter in the first place. I did not want anyone to know.”

“Why _not?”_

“Perhaps I am here for a reason,” he teased, and suddenly felt too much like Felassan. The agent had been too free with the people, the shades of this world that had to be done with in order to make way for his vision. It would be a world truly _worthy_ of the elves.

Worthy of her, perhaps.

“Are you?” she demanded. He nodded. “And what reason is that?”

“I want the orb,” he said plainly. It was foolish to tell her so— she might have expelled him from the Inquisition, and then what? He would be back to trying to face Corypheus on his own.

She didn’t though. “Why do you want it?” she asked.

“To keep it away from everyone else.” It was an unsatisfying answer, but he hoped to convey that she would get no other.

“Even me?” That was a little surprising, but he nodded.

“Especially you. I daresay you would be the only one besides me who could puzzle out how to wield it.” She smiled a little, but wasn’t as taken by his flattery as he had hoped. “You deserve it, perhaps— I would trust you with it, if I did not want it so badly for myself.”

“What are you going to do with it?” she asked. He realized that they’d moved closer together, meeting somewhere in the middle of their original positions.

“Keep it away from everyone else,” he said firmly. She frowned, but he watched an odd change come over her. She’d won a victory and it seemed she decided to dwell on that instead.

“So you’re an ancient elf?” He nodded. “Where have you _been?”_ she demanded.

“Asleep,” he reminded her. “I only awoke recently— recently enough that the orb has been my main concern from the start.” A lie, but enough to throw her off the trail for a little while. She didn’t need to know that he was a god to be wary of his motives.

“Just the orb?” she asked, canting just a little so he would follow the line of her hip. Which he did, smiling faintly.

“Some things have been more distracting than others,” he admitted, taking a step closer. Not all futures involved abandoning her. Not all timelines would lead to tragedy.

Perhaps for once, he could choose to be an optimist.

**Author's Note:**

> [My writing blog is here](http://nebulaad.tumblr.com) and this pretty much does it for my solavellan vault. This was an old draft which was already a throwback to my original theory on Solas I had on my first playthrough. I was chatting with Vashoth (on ao3) on my first playthrough and we figured he was definitely an ancient elf. Like without a doubt. _My_ theory was that he was Dirthamen because he was so smug and keeping secrets very obviously. She guessed that he was an Agent of Fen'harel which was the right god but the wrong role, although in fairness as I said many times, how the fuck were we supposed to guess that. Also I probably figured Dirthamen right off because we found that Temple to him but you know, there was no relevant information in Inquisition so.


End file.
